Reviews

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  JeremiahCrowley

  Feb 23, 2022

  I have been playing this game since it came out, literally since 2001... It is until this day one of my most favorite RPG's, the story, the voice overs, your ability to be good, evil or anything in between. To follow multiple paths, hours upon hours of freedom. Tolkien would be proud. BUT! WHY HAVE WE NOT SEEN AN UPDATED GAME!? Like a new arcanum, arcanum 2? A First Person Arcanum? The world, the steam punk, the strange realism when someone gets shot in the head with a cannon pistol!. CMONNN Mannn! Give us another Arcanum, after all these years this has been the best game Ive ever played, why can you not give me another!?
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  Ole Bobby

  Aug 27, 2022

  One of the all-time greatest cRPGs. Interesting setting. Good soundtrack. Totally bonkers character builds possible. Highly replayable. I've done a few playthroughs through the years and I always discover something I hadn't noticed before. If someone picks up the IP and makes a 3D-first person RPG in the same setting I will probably joyshout so loud that all the windows in my neighbourhood shatters.
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  Crazy Minh

  Oct 16, 2022

  Very clunky, and very clearly a product of the 90's (despite having been released in 2001). Graphics comparable to the first two Fallout games. Also, it's buggy as hell, even with the unofficial fan patch. But... Like the first two Fallout games- also developed by some of the people who worked on this game- it is an absolute gem of a CRPG. Brilliant worldbuilding, a gripping story, very open-ended gameplay for a game of its era, fantastic voice acting (when there is any), and a very fleshed out character creation and progression system. Cannot stress this enough; if you love RPGs, buy this game. If you're a Fallout fan, this game is a must-play. Just go in with the expectation that it will be a very steep learning curve unless you grew up (or have invested a lot of time) playing these sort of games; and that this game isn't exactly the most polished in the medium. 8/10, cheap as hell, but worth far more than the price tag would suggest.
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  Perun

  Oct 17, 2022

  One of the best RPGs of all times.
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  Bob Ross

  Dec 4, 2022

  doesnt work even with the unnoficial patch and hours of troubleshooting the game refuses to launch
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  Malice

  Dec 9, 2022

  GRAAAH I HATE ORCS SO FUCKING MUCH!!!!!!!
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  derangedmonk95

  Dec 30, 2022

  it insist upon itself
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  Michaelhumanjooce

  Jan 1, 2023

  this game makes me want to shove rocks up my dark hole
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  Scarecrow Man

  Jan 8, 2023

  Every few years I come back to this game and do another play through or two. IMO it will always be one of the greatest RPGs ever.
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  Greghed

  Jan 8, 2023

  One of my all time favorites. Lots to do and explore, anyone who loves isometric open world rpgs will love this game. The technology versus magic aspect adds a lot of variation to character builds. The discrimination the Orcs face and some ogres face is also unique, the orcs are treated as a slave labor force and very discriminated against in face if you pick a half-orc character even if you have very high beauty and charisma some characters wont talk to you and still wont let you do their quests even if they seem to sort of like you. By far a game i can go back to and always find something new! Greg's Select Games Reviews “A list of my favorite games. ”
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  RaienFrost

  Jan 8, 2023

  One of my all time favorite RPGs would kill for a remaster to bring it into the new age.
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  Caroldemort

  Jan 28, 2023

  This game is great! I enjoyed playing it greatly and once every other year, I replay it with different character builds. Advantages: - Engaging, interesting story; - Interesting magic-technology duality in the in-game world; - Cool magical abilities; - Many funny moments; - DIALOGUE: one of the best features of this game. It is really well-written and every message is interesting to read. Some messages are hilarious! - Many different ways to beat the game: with magic or technology, as a stupid killing machine or an elegant intelligent person, killing everyone you see or playing as a pacifict. Disadvantages: - Bad graphics; - Unpolished combat system; - Difficulty disbalance - playing as a technologist is much, MUCH harder than as a magician!
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  Fuck It Just Crush My Balls(BB)

  May 22, 2023

  Oh, dearie me! I recently tried my hand at this peculiar game called Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, and let me tell you, it was quite the experience. Now, mind you, I couldn't quite make out those pesky dialogue options, but I soldiered on regardless. By the way, have I mentioned Amanda from the church choir and her suspicious ways at Bingo? But I digress... Arcanum presents itself as a fascinating world full of steam-powered contraptions and magical wonders. However, it's as if the game itself conspires against me, dear reader. The dialogue options elude my poor, tired eyes, leaving me utterly bewildered. It's a shame, really. Just like Amanda and her bingo shenanigans. As I stumbled through this game, attempting to navigate its intricacies, I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. The lack of clear guidance made it difficult to truly immerse myself in the story. And let me tell you, dear Amanda, the church choir deserves better than someone who cheats in Bingo! Oops, there I go again, forgive me! The combat system, oh my, it's a peculiar beast! It felt clunky and unrefined, much like Amanda's habit of snatching the winning card before anyone else has a chance. But I won't dwell on her dubious tactics any longer, my apologies. The visuals, while dated, still possess a certain charm. The world of Arcanum is unique and intriguing, with its mix of technology and magic. If only the game's mechanics were as enchanting as the church choir's harmonies, minus Amanda's disruptive antics, of course. In all honesty, dear reader, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura left me feeling somewhat exasperated. The lack of accessibility for those of us who struggle with deciphering the dialogue options dampened my enthusiasm. And speaking of dampening things, Amanda's presence in the church choir dampens the spirit of fair play. While I appreciate the game's ambition and its potential to captivate others, it simply did not resonate with me. Perhaps if Amanda learned to play fair in Bingo, I might have had a more positive outlook on Arcanum. But alas, such is life. In summary, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura left me longing for a more user-friendly experience. Much like Amanda and her Bingo tactics, the game felt frustrating and inaccessible. Ah, Amanda, Amanda, when will you learn? But I digress. Proceed with caution, dear reader, and may your adventures be less confounding than mine.
• 

  Captain Titus

  May 22, 2023

  "There are times when destiny calls forth a man...and it is up to him to answer that call. Are you ready for this?"

  Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a role-playing game set in a fantasy world where magic and technology coexist, but are often in conflict. The game has been praised for its original setting, rich story, and complex character creation system. However, it has also been criticised for its technical issues, outdated graphics, and unbalanced gameplay. The world of Arcanum is unique - it combines elements of steampunk, Victorian era, and high fantasy to create a diverse and immersive environment. The player can encounter elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, vampires, werewolves, and more in different regions of the world, while also having a wide variety of character customisation in terms of starting race/gender etc. Each race has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each background has significant bonuses as well as drawbacks. The game also explores the themes of racism, classism, industrialisation, and religion through its various factions and characters. You can choose to align with either magic or technology, which affects skills, abilities, and reputation. Magic users can cast spells from different schools of magic, such as fire, necromancy, or summoning. Technology users can craft and use various gadgets, such as guns, bombs, or automatons. The game also features a morality system that tracks the player's actions and consequences. Depending on their choices, the player can become good or evil, lawful or chaotic (alignment will also affect NPC responses and in some cases, which companions are willing to join your party). The game also boasts a rich story that is influenced by the player's decisions. The main plot revolves around the player being the sole survivor of a zeppelin crash that was caused by a mysterious assassin. The player then learns that they are the reincarnation of an ancient hero who once saved the world from a powerful evil. Along the way, the player can recruit up to seven companions who have their own personalities and backgrounds. There are multiple endings depending on the player's actions and alignment (combine this with the widely varied starting race/background, and replayability is very high indeed). However, Arcanum is not without its flaws. The game suffers from many technical issues that affect its performance and stability. It game is prone to crashing, freezing, or glitching at random moments (ALT-TAB is a lottery most of the time, and I suffered from the notorious slowdown which really made it quite painful). The game also has many bugs that can break quests or cause other problems - some of which can be solved by installing UAP. Ideally, before beginning, you will want to run through the links and process on this most helpful post (

  https://www.reddit.com/r/arcanum/comments/s0vuib/arcanum_patches_for_new_players/

  ) (in fact, you may need to do so to get the game to run in the first place). I had to install version 2.0.2 of the UAP in order to play the game, and as a result of the difficulties I faced I was unwilling to fiddle around to resolve the slowdown bug. If your luck is better than mine, the below may come in handy if you encounter this (all credit to OP): https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=755396888 Before you begin playing, you may also want to make use of the below two guides (all credit to respective OPs): https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2311393823 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=755978234 The game is quite complex and it will help to familiarise yourself with some of the mechanics before diving in. Finally, many of the files as well as extras are hosted at

  https://terra-arcanum.com/downloads/

  should you need it, or the other links not work. The gameplay is also unbalanced and frustrating at times. For combat, you can switch between real-time and turn-based (turn-based is the generally accepted way to play Arcanum, but there will be times when you need to switch between the two). However, the combat is often chaotic and confusing due to the lack of feedback and control. The difficulty is also inconsistent and unfair at times - some enemies are too easy to defeat while others are too hard to overcome, with the curve seemingly flattened as you approach the end. The AI is also erratic and unreliable: The companions often act stupidly or get stuck in obstacles, and the programming does not always make sense (why do my ranged companions decide to get in close to attack? Make it make sense). Arcanum is a game that has a lot of potential but also a lot of problems. This will appeal most to fans of classic role-playing games who appreciate its originality and depth. However, it is also a game that frustrates players who expect more polish and balance, and requires patience and tolerance to enjoy its merits to the fullest. Played on Windows 11 Pro x64. It was not a simple task to get this game to work - in addition to the above, I had to create a custom override in Windows Security for Mandatory ASLR and force it to off. Without this, the game would not launch at all.

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  Bluebeak

  Aug 30, 2016

  Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a very underrated and forgotten crpg. It was the first game created by Troika games, which was founded by several of the developers of the original Fallout. Arcanum takes place in a Victorian era fantasy world. And has all of the staples of typical medieval fantasy elements. There's magic, dwarves, elves, gnomes, orcs and so forth. But they've all been adapted into a more modern world. Now there are firearms, steam power, zeppelins, and so forth. Intermixed with orcs that wear tailcoats and wield gattling guns. The game plays very similarly to the original Fallout. But it allows you to select between turn based and real time, with turn based being the obvious better option. Arcanum was ahead of its time in a lot of respects. For starters it is a true open world game, allowing you to walk from the very start of the game all the way to the other end of the continent uninterrupted. It was also to my knowledge the very first game to feature preorder DLC, if you preordered the game you recieved an extra dungeon on a CD. The soundtrack is all classical music and still remains one of my favorite OSTs. It's a fantasy version of Fallout set in a steampunk world. It's everything you've ever wanted in an rpg, released 15 years ago. Go figure. This version appears to be the CD version of the game. It appears to work with Arcanum's widescreen mod so it's really a toss up if you wanna spring for the GOG version or the Steam version at this rate. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=754604562 http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=755396888
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  Phaser Rave

  Aug 30, 2016

  This is probably my favorite game, one which I have played throughout most of my life. Imagine if a fantasy world inspired by LotR or D&D hit the industrial age. Arcanum is an open world, open ended RPG with either turn based or real time combat (can be changed at will). Magic and technology are two opposite sides of the same coin, and you can choose one or the other, or may walk the middle ground. The game often offers many ways of tackling a quest. For example: [spoiler]In one of the first quests, some bandits require a toll be paid if you wish to pass a bridge. You can pay this toll, you can convince them you're a bandit yourself, you can work with them, you can steal the key, or you can kill them.[/spoiler] Another thing I like about this, which you don't see in some modern games like Skyrim (still love that game though) is that you can fail quests, and can pretty much kill anyone. Sometimes this results in failing that quest. You've got a variety of spells and technology to choose from. You can raise the spirits of the recent dead to speak with them at and early level, or at a high level can even resurrect the dead. Your companions can die, but if you have the spell, resurrection scroll, you can bring them back. As a technologist you can craft guns, tech armor, automatons, and more. As you progress through the tech field, you get schematics for crafting your stuff. Alternatively, you can also find schematics out in the world to craft things you wouldn't get from just leveling up. There are also other skills your character can utilize, such as bartering, gambling, persuasion, and pickpocket. If you have the relevant stat (strength, dexterity, etc), you can train its respective skill. If you get that skill to the maximum level, you're not done yet. You have to train with the masters of that skill to gain the most benefit from it. The final Master level of each skill has a quest which you must complete to be considered the master. You can also steal most things, if you have the relevant skill. Sneak in to a shop, and you can steal all of their wares. The game has some bugs. I recommend installing the official and unofficial patches, and the high resolution patch. http://www.terra-arcanum.com/downloads/ There are some things I wish the game did better, like shopkeepers won't shoo you out of their shop before they head to bed, which makes it a bit easy to steal their stuff. I still love the game though. Tip: F1-F6 give quick commands to your companions. F7 quicksaves, F8 quickloads.
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  DONNCHADH_ZA

  Aug 30, 2016

  Frame Rate Fix for Windows 8 and Up. More specifically lag issues in caves and inventories Copy paste the following -doublebuffer -no3d into your SET LAUNCH OPTIONS I absolutely love this game and had to apply this fix for myself on Windows 10 If you are still having issues. User Owlakki in the comments suggested an alternative fix for users still having issues. please follow the following link Owlakki 3 hours ago I've actually found this fix doesn't work. I had to write my own guide on how to fix it. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=755396888
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  gumby

  Sep 6, 2016

  This is the best game ever. Made by Troika Games, authors of Fallout and another bugged, unbalanced, yet cult game Vampire: Bloodlines. Arcanum has horrible graphics. It has horrible combat. And its 'balance' is nonexistant. You can literally walk through the entire game by using ONLY one spell. The one you can start with. Yet still Arcanum is the best game ever. It has one of the most captivating settings. It's a wonderful world, a merger of steampunk science and magic. It has lots of characters and story choices, most of them hidden and not given out in the open like in most modern RPGs. Of course sometimes even in Arcanum you have an option 'you either go here, or go there' but there is always a third way. And a fourth. And in most cases a fifth and a sixth. Almost all quests in Arcanum have 4 or even more ways to finish them (and several to fail). This brings enormous replayability, and even after years you can find out that some quest could've been completed differently. Arcanum is offering all of it. The moral dilemma, the ambiguity of your choices, the vastness of the world. If you can tolerate the graphics, clunky combat system and the fact that all skill choices are unbalanced, you're in for a treat. Dumb Half-Ogre? Halfling-thief? Intelligent Half-Orc? Elf-Engineer? Selfless or selfish, savior or villain, or anything inbetween. Possibilities of real roleplay are endless here. This is and will stay my only review for a game on steam. Just because this one is the one I deeply care about. And the soundtrack. Best soundtrack for a game ever written.
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  󠀡󠀡󠀡󠀡󠀡󠀡

  Sep 15, 2016

  This is the first of Troika Games' masterpieces. I played Arcanum back when i was a teen and it became one of my favorite rpgs, i replayed it many times after that. This is one of the games that made me into rpg fan i am now and also the reason why i have tough standarts when it comes to rpgs and especially story. RIP Troika. It sucks that we'll never see another game like Arcanum. But maybe it's for the best in this day and age, because you can't just remake cult classic.
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  Thunderous Clockwork WarMachine

  Sep 20, 2016

  The only reason Arcanum isn't well known as the all-time classic that it is, is because it was released right between Diablo 2:Lord Of Destruction, and Baldur's Gate 2:Throne Of Bhaal. They were massively popular expansions to massively popular games that essentially shared the same general visual style and similar gameplay to Arcanum, a game no one had ever heard of. Naturally, it went overlooked in favor of the vastly more famous expansions. Arcanum is an absolute masterpiece. As much as I LOVE Diablo 2:Lord Of Destruction, I'm NOT sure that it was the best isometric PC game to come out that year. Arcanum MAY be the better game. Imagine everything you love about the Fallout games and Elder Scrolls games, and imagine a steampunk version in a DRAMATICALLY more elaborate and interesting world, with more depth, and more customization, but in isometric 2D, like the original Fallout games. Arcanum was created by the creators of Fallout. It IS steampunk Fallout. I'll be real honest, if they told me that a new Fallout or Elder Scrolls game was on the way, I'd shrug. That's cool. But if they told me they were making Arcanum 2, I'd be LOSING MY GORRAM MIND waiting day by day for that game to come out. I've been waiting for Arcanum 2 to be announced for like 15 years.